DIXON— SWAN-MAIDEN THEME 



part of Polynesia, and as the Maoris show both in their mythology 

 and in their other culture, elements of distinctly Melanesian origin, 

 it is not impossible that we may see in this story a fragmentary and 

 modified version of the Melanesian form of the Swan-maiden episode. 



The thread which we have been following all the way from north- 

 ern Sumatra, here becomes extremely weak. The assumption that the 

 version of the story found in eastern Melanesia was derived from 

 Indonesia was put forward with some misgiving; can we for a moment 

 suppose that the Australian and Maori forms are also a part of the 

 same line of influence? At first sight it seems preposterous, as no cul- 

 tural associations have been seriously suggested between eastern 

 Melanesia and the Australian continent at least. In justification for 

 hazarding so wild a suggestion, it may be pointed out that a compari- 

 son of Australian and Melanesian mythology reveals several other 

 similarities between the tribes of southeastern Australia and Melane- 

 sia. It would be foolish to assert that these few cases alone constitute 

 evidence in the matter, but as there are also one or two puzzling cul- 

 tural elements in common to the two regions, it suggests the need of 

 further investigation in this hitherto unsuspected direction. 



To return once more, however, to the Melanesian area. It seems 

 that one result of importance follows from this hasty survey. If we 

 admit the possibility that the New Hebridean versions of the Swan- 

 maiden tale are derived from Indonesian sources, we must face the 

 conclusion that inasmuch as the Indonesian versions are probably to 

 be referred to Indian influence, the emigration from Indonesia which 

 brought this tale to Melanesia, could not have taken place until after 

 Indian culture had become established in Java and the adjacent 

 islands. We should thus be led to believe that a considerable part of 

 the Indonesian migration and influence in Melanesia occurred at least 

 as late as the third or fourth century of our era, and that the complex 

 of Melanesian culture, as we know it, has developed in the interval 

 since. Even if we discard the possibility of the tale having been carried 

 bodily with the immigrants to Melanesia, and regard it as merely 

 transmitted, we must admit that Indian influences and doubtless 

 others from Indonesia have come to Melanesia and possibly farther 

 in comparatively recent times. Not a little other evidence, derived 

 from other sides of Melanesian culture, seems to corroborate these 

 conclusions, and a basis is thus secured for a tentative dating of an 

 important culture period in the history of the Oceanic peoples. 



Harvard University 

 Cambridge, Massachusetts 



[8 7 ] 



